We are in Alpine, Utah on the set of Saints & Soldiers: The Void. Standing next to me is Randy Beard who, amongst having various roles on the film, also owns a Panzer III – a cool little item to have! So I guess we’ll start off with what your roles are on the film. Well, I’m Executive Producer, German Military Advisor and that takes me into the Armorer, supplying several of the weapons: all of the 98k rifles and MP40’s and whatnot. You constructed a Panzer III. Now, there are a lot of Panzers out there that you look at it and immediately you know that it is not a real Panzer III. This one, in all fairness, especially from here up, this looks the part. Yes. So, where do you start? If you’re going to build a Panzer III that looks this much like a Panzer III, how do you do it? Well, my original thought was with the time and effort and money that’s going to go into it, I really didn’t want to settle. So I purchased an M113 demilitarized that had been cut off just above the tracks. So let’s say in a moment of insanity I decided that I was going to start to build my own tank. I would say that you need to know going into it that it’s basically a lifestyle. It really is. This is not something that you would do, like on a weekend, or as kind of a side-line hobby thing. The amount of work involved, even just in maintaining these vehicles is tremendous. You have to have a place to store it, you have to have a place to work on it, haul it. I think that’s kind of the differentiation between this reproduction and most of the reproductions that are out there. You can make a reproduction relatively inexpensive, I guess, in relative terms, and quickly if you take an existing vehicle and then cut the top off and put another top on top of it. Unfortunately, the whole layout doesn’t conform to the German specification. So in this case you do have the engine at the back and the transmission is at the front. Yeah, we re-worked everything, so everything’s in the correct configuration. Everything is to spec. And where do you get a 5cm cannon? Well, that is used oil field pipe. OK, so the film is set at the very, very end of World War II. I mean, we’re talking the last couple of days. Panzer III – not really standard issue for the front line German army of that period. How do we explain Panzer IIIs in this movie? Well, as you well know, the Panzer III basically went obsolete in 1943, right after Kursk. It was replaced by the Panther. So they took the Panzer IIIs and took turrets off, they used them as ammunition haulers, artillery spotting vehicles, command vehicles and things like that. A lot of them got transferred into training schools for Panzer grenadiers or tank training. So, in the script of this movie basically that’s the explanation of why we have three Panzer III’s. They’ve been pulled into service out of training school. And, considering what they’re going up against, in this case M18s, they’re actually still quite viable. Yeah, that’s one of the things that makes this work. The Hellcat is so thinly armoured, that at the ranges that we’re firing here, this 50mm is as deadly to him as his 76mm is to us. So it’s kind of a fair fight. This is an early mount. They came out with a really fancy one later. This is something probably field improvised, more or less. This is a bit of a narrow fit, even for myself and I’m not the widest guy. I think the guys in the 40s were smaller by nature. You did a wonderful job on the outside. Let’s see how you did on the inside. OK. Well, they put a nice convenient handle here, it has to be said. OK, I’m already stuck. My very first thought is, that’s a bit disconcerting that you have a breach that is going to recoil right towards your testicles. Yes. Yes it is. It is…definitely cozy in here. There’s no two ways about this. And I think the original model would be even more cozy because down below here we don’t have the ammo rack, all of the ammo storage bins. So you’ve got a seat, I’ve got a seat. Everyone’s got a seat except the loader. He had to just kind of walk around. Yeah he’s got no floor does he. Yeah, and he would have a lot less area to stand. As the turret rotates, there’s no basket. There’s no floor. So he’s got to be stepping over the drive shaft and around the bins and everything else. So, he’d have to be pretty agile. So what do you shoot? We have 40mm Bofors salute rounds. They’re about 2.5 inch diameter. Maybe about 5 inches long. We put 4 ounces of black powder and then spray foam in the end, so the foam disintegrates as it goes down the barrel. That’s what you were popping off a little earlier? Yup. That’s what happens. Nice big handles. Which are, I presume, modelled after the Mk. III? Yes. They’re the correct length, and the angles on them, and things like that. It’s in the right configuration. The word “pivot,” I was going to add, doesn’t really go with this tank. You don’t use the word “pivot” and this tank in the same sentence. It’s kind of a sweeping turn. I wish it would pivot. It’s kind of gotten fuzzy. Do you read the little sign Driver! This is an amputating and killing machine. Drive carefully. These people are your friends! I’m in a tank. We try not to crunch people up. No? What if they were zombies? If they were zombies, that’s fine. OK. Fascinating tank. I have to say again. Congratulations on building this. I’m very curious to see what your Mk. IV will look like when it’s done. I’m going to come out and see it. Well, thank you very much. And we’ll see you next time! This 66mm cannon… …pull this lever. So it’s on the way. Bang!
Cool!
Bill Kilgore hat ?
Wow
Excellent work, sir.
"Don't try to build your own tank" – WG 2014
"What if there are zombies?" "Zombies are fine" "ok" Lol
@World of Tanks haha! I love the sign above the driver's seat 🙂
1 thing I've never been able to figure out is how the driver and machine gunner/radio operator got in and got out….they don't have any obvious hatches. Any answers anybody?
For all you to know ,in patch 9.3 KV 1S is going to be replaced with 2 tanks tier V and VI
Hellcat is going to be nerfed
Several light tanks higher tier in game ( Russia,Germany )
Is it road legal? no need to deal with monday morning traffic in a tank xD
Lol "what if they were zombies"
Now this explains why PzIIIs scared the Hellcats in the trailers
when a pz III meets a kv1. GOOD BY PZIII
You can tell it's not a real Pz III because it has only 5 "small" wheels on the bottom, not 6. I learned that fact from the Chieftain.
The video is good but i want a new Best replays of the week or RNG episod
Nice tank bro! Seriously thinking about building my own. 😛
4:23 Say goodbye to your Nazi Balls! XD
It's not original? Didn't anyone think to restore a Pz3 or Pz4? They were important machines and there were so many produced. Why aren't there any working ones these days?
the Pz III is missing a road wheel, to bad he couldn't get another set of torsion bars and wheels
Tanks versus Zombies… I'm going to go with Hell Yeah on this one.
The recoil! Please do something to simulate the recoil!
Great！
Don't list to him. If you want a tank make one, fallow your dreams.
but.. but… i already bought materials to make my own tank… 🙁
next video if you dont put something like best replays of the week i will unsubscribe 7 videos i did not vatched
I will surely watch this film 🙂
not enough time to review tanks properly at museums…..making commercials for a B-movie instead 😛
Randy, that is awesome. Amazing job, well done. 🙂
Im going to build a Maus. Thanks for the idea!
If you have the materials, the know how and the drive to complete the project, I say get ta building!
Not badly done at all. Too bad it doesn't have the proper number of road wheels, though…
Epic! love the Pz III
Very great work, not like in films or series like "Band of Brothers" where they use a T-34 with a modified upper hull and turret as a Tiger
Didn't wargaming say something about restoring a Maus while back?
Polish reconstructors are better, they have a Home Made Panther 😉
so basically, its a tank crew that's "pinned down" by a pz3 and stay in the building rather than get into there hellcat and blow the tank away? and there racism in it
Great video, great job on the tank, watched the 2 films, I must say they are downright terrible… Historically it might be good, but it's so awefully cliché and without goal… except trying to make people convert (???)
tl;dr: Don't watch Saints & Soldiers, you're better off playing WoT
My question what Ausf Mark 4 will it be?
Awesome
That is an amazing amount of work done for a replica considering what's available parts wise. It's refreshing and awesome to see that kind of dedication, especially for a movie. Though it is not 100% correct, it's closer than most will ever go.
I thought panzer 3s were supposed to have 6 wheels not 5
uhm theres a robbery planning with my buddies could you come here and pick us up and fire some "blind" ammor? XDDDDDDDDDDDD Just kidding. Make a video how you go to McDonalds drive trhu window and check the guys faces Xd
Interesting statement about building tanks in the game, yet there's not animation for it in the garage :/ Not even an animated crew for your tank
bu tank bir harika dostum
I acknowledge your advise on why i shouldn't build a tank, but I am choosing to ignore it.
Isn't that the same pz-III from airborne creed
There is a british company which make panzers and stugs on fv432. Might as well get one of those.
乗りたい！
How much did this cost? likely 500k+
This Pz II only has 5 road wheels instead of 6.
You cant tell me what to do
3:40 Whoa!! track tension!
Did they contact the Tank Museum to see if they could use the authentic Pz mark III?
I am always amazed that many tank designs did not include a turret basket. Of course we're talking the era of hand cranked turrets or very slowly powered ones. As a former Bradley Commander I would be terrified to slew a basketless turret.
'Don't try building your own tank."
Laughs in tool shed